Free agent forward Tyler Ennis signs a one- year, $650K deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ennis became an unrestricted free agent when he was bought out by the Minnesota Wild in June.
The @MapleLeafs have signed forward Tyler Ennis to a one-year contract worth $650,000. #TMLtalk
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) July 6, 2018
Tyler Ennis Heading To Toronto Maple Leafs
After initially being traded to the Wild, Tyler Ennis had dealt with a long list of injuries his previous two seasons. The concern was that he would not be able to stay healthy while with the Wild. That concern was erased as Ennis spent the entire season without injury. The bad outweighed the good, however.
Despite playing 73 games, Ennis finished the season with eight goals and 14 assists. When comparing those numbers to the last time Ennis played close to a full season, it takes us back to 2014-15. With the Buffalo Sabres, Ennis finished with 20 goals and 26 assists.
Injuries cut both 2015-16 and 2016-17 short for the 28-year-old forward. One can argue that the injuries made it hard for Ennis to establish himself in both seasons. Combining both of those seasons, Ennis had eight goals and 16 assists in 74 games.
Over a career that began in 2009-10, Ennis has 105 goals and 153 assists in 492 games. He was originally drafted by the Sabres in the first round of the 2008 NHL Draft.
What This Means For The Future
While the numbers are not eyeopening for Ennis, there is clearly still interest that he can turn things back around with this signing. There is hope as his numbers took a climb up, albeit a small one, in an injury-free season. Ennis has a lot more work to do to show that he can become the player he used to be.
It is possible that another change of scenery will help Ennis move forward once again. It is an understatement to say that Ennis needs to prove himself. With a contract year coming up, Tyler Ennis will need to show that he is not on the downside of his career.
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